


On The Flip Side Of Victory

by kcstories



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canon Divergence, Fluff, HP: EWE, Happy Ending, M/M, Post-War, Romance, Sappiness, flangst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-09-07
Updated: 2008-09-07
Packaged: 2018-08-18 09:32:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8157407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kcstories/pseuds/kcstories
Summary: On the night of the victory celebrations, the Malfoys look out of place.





	

**Author's Note:**

> **A/N:** The Potterverse is JKR's, not mine.

After a brief tour of the room, to show all present he’s neither afraid nor ashamed to be there, Draco Malfoy returns to the table where his parents are seated.  
  
It’s safer there, not to mention more pleasant, with considerably less boasting going on.  
  
Everyone is a hero tonight, even Neville Longbottom, who wielded the Sword of Gryffindor and beheaded the Dark Lord’s snake.  
  
Draco, for his part, has nothing to brag about. He knows what the people here think of him, too. In their eyes, he’s nothing but a coward at best.  
  
He doesn’t care. It’s crystal clear that these… _simpletons_ fail to comprehend how things really work.  
  
Family and self-preservation must always come first, and besides, what’s the point of medals and titles if one is no longer around to enjoy them?  
  
Potter still lives, of course, but Potter is invincible, indestructible, not like regular mortals.  
  
Draco shakes his head. _Bloody Potter._  
  
Suddenly the room is too crowded and the air too thick.  
  
“Excuse me,” he says, rising from his chair.  
  
“Where are you going, darling?” his mother asks, concerned. “You only just got here.”  
  
“I need some fresh air,” he says simply. “I shan’t be long.”  
  
He walks toward the back door, slowly so as not too draw any attention to himself.  
  
He never notices the slim silhouette following him.  
  
  
  
***  
  
  
  
Harry frowns. From his spot at the other side of the room, he has been observing the Malfoys for a good while; very discreetly, of course.  
  
They look completely out of place, unwelcome even, and he’s pretty certain they only showed up to make a point, not because they were keen to join in the celebrations.  
  
Draco only just returned to his family’s table a few minutes ago, but already he gets up again and makes for the exit, a blank, unreadable expression on his pale face.  
  
Harry shakes his head. This seems so unfair, somehow.  
  
Without a word he, too, stands up and follows Draco outside. For a few moments, he quietly waits, watching Malfoy from behind some bushes before going over and joining him on the bench.  
  
“Er, nice night out,” Harry says and quickly adds, feeling all sorts of awkward, “Not so pleasant in there, though.”  
  
Draco doesn’t even look at him. “Hello, Potter.”  
  
“Um, are you all right?” Harry asks carefully.  
  
“I’m fine,” Draco mutters. “Just go back to your little fan club, would you? No doubt they miss you already.”  
  
“Look,” Harry says, reaching out and taking Draco’s hand. “I know people are a bit… stingy towards you now, but they’ll come around eventually.”  
  
“Eternally the brainless optimist, aren’t you?” Draco snaps, but to Harry’s relief, he doesn’t pull his hand back.  
  
“Would you like to, um, go somewhere else?” Harry offers quietly.  
  
“Such as?” The words are curt, bitter.  
  
“I’m renting a room at The Leaky.”  
  
Finally, Draco turns his head around. “The Leaky? Aren’t you staying at the Weasleys’, then?”  
  
“No. The Burrow would be a bit, er, awkward, right now.”  
  
“Awkward?”  
  
Harry nods slowly. “Yeah. Now that Ginny and I won’t be getting back together, it just didn’t seem right. Not that I wouldn’t be welcome, of course, no one’s mad at me or anything, but…” Harry trails off and Draco’s eyes widen.  
  
“You won’t be getting back together with her?” There is a hint of hope to Draco’s voice. He tries his utmost to hide it, of course, but he isn’t fooling anyone.  
  
“I finally set her straight this morning,” Harry replies with a small smile.  
  
“You did?” Draco blinks. “Why?”  
  
Harry frowns. “Isn’t that obvious, Draco?”  
  
“Well, no. It’s not, actually.”  
  
“Oh.” Harry looks down at their still entwined hands. “I thought…”  
  
“What?” The word is nothing but a broken whisper, and were it not for the bustling traffic in the nearby distance, Harry might be able hear Draco’s frantic heartbeat.  
  
“I thought that you and me, that maybe we could…” Harry swallows thickly. He isn’t sure how to phrase this, exactly. Things changed quite drastically from the moment he saved Malfoy’s life and after that drunken, desperate night when the two of them became lovers as well as tentative friends.  
  
Harry never asked what it all meant. It didn’t seem necessary and truth be told, he was somewhat scared to question it as well. He doubts whether he would have survived these last few months without Draco to comfort him or without Draco himself, and moreover, Harry has fallen head over heels for the boy.  
  
But perhaps those feelings aren’t reciprocated. Maybe what they shared was nothing more than Malfoy saying ‘thank you’ in a manner that not only ensured his own safety but also got him laid on a regular basis. That sort of approach would be just his style, wouldn’t it?  
  
Harry shakes his head  
  
“Yes?” Draco says. “Go on. What did you think?”  
  
Harry looks at him, squarely meeting his gaze. “I thought we could, maybe spend more time together from now on. I mean, I-I really like you, Draco.”  
  
“Do you now?” Draco tries to sound casual, but his relief seeps through.  
  
“Well, I wouldn’t have-I mean, if I didn’t, we wouldn’t have, um—”  
  
Draco grins at the sudden blush and rubs his thumb over the back of Harry’s hand. “Good. You’ve rather grown on me as well, Potter.”  
  
Harry feels as though his heart might jump out of his chest. Grinning from ear to ear, he leans closer and kisses Draco on the lips. “So, do you want to stay and watch the fireworks?” he asks.  
  
“Not particularly,” Draco replies flatly, and then suggests with a mischievous grin, “But how would you feel about going back to this room of yours and making some fireworks of our own?”  
  
Harry’s blush was only just starting to fade, but it’s already back again with a vengeance. “All right,” he whispers.  
  
Another kiss and with a pop, they’re gone.


End file.
